FLUSHING, N.Y. – Having earned East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and First Team honors, Queens College sophomore forward Nkiru Awaka (Hyde Park, N.Y.) was named to the D2 CCA All-East Region Second Team and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) All-First Team honors.
 
Awaka is the first Knight to be named to the D2 CCA All-East Region team since Madison Rowland in the 2016-2017 season. It is the third straight year a Knight has been named to the All-MET Team and the 16^th player overall in program history.
 
It would be a stellar year for the Hyde Park native who appeared and started in 25 games averaging 31.0 minutes per game, 13.6 points per game, and team-highs in 11.2 rebounds per game to go with 6.6 offensive boards per game and 4.7 defensive per game. Also, she would average 2.2 steals per game, and 1.4 blocks per game to go with 12 double-doubles.
 
Among the ECC Awaka finished the regular season in the Top 10 in nearly every statistical category.

• First in rebounding
• First in offensive rebounding
• First in field goal percentage
• Third in steals
• Fifth in scoring
• Sixth in blocks
• Seventh in free throw percentage
• 10^th in defensive rebounding
• 13^th in minutes played.

The sophomore was one of five ECC players to record a 30-point performance game, and the lone player to record a 20-rebound performance this year. She would lead the ECC with 15 10-rebound games.
 
During the 16-week regular season, Awaka would earn a spot on the weekly award sheet a team-high 11 times including ECC Player of the Week on three occasions and Defensive Player of the Week on four occasions.
 
Awaka would record new career-best over the course of the year in several different categories

• Points - 30 points vs. Roberts Wesleyan (2/7/25)
• Rebounds – 23 vs. Roberts Wesleyan (2/7/25)
• Assists – 3 (Tied a career-best)
• Steals – 7 vs. Post (12/16/24)
• Blocks – 5 (2x)
• Free Throws Made – 8 (2x)
• Free Throws Attempts – 12 (Tied a career-best)
• Double-Doubles – 12

Awaka will enter her junior year having started and appeared in 52 career games recording 672 total points, 518 rebounds, 100 steals, 50 blocks, and 49 assists.

For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Queens College WBB (QCKNIGHTS_WBB), and Instagram (qcknightsny), women's basketball (qcknightswbb).